Apparatus for reducing the fluid content of a fluid-solid intermixture



March 25, 1947. E v 2,417,958

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE FLUID CONTENT OF A FLUID-SOLID INTERMIXTURE Filed Dec. 21, 1944 5 Sh ets-Sheet 1 INVENHW: .HAROLD A.TEALE,

ATTORNEY March 25, 1947.

H. A. TEALE APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE FLUID CONTENT OF A FLUID-SOLID INTERMIXTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 min as? 05w E v Ow mm N mm R 0 I11 m 3 en mm n m oh N mm w- Q. r, 1 21 i 7/ m E a 3 d3 s mm no ATTORNEY I H. A. TEALE 2,417,958

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE FLUID CONTENT OF A FLUID-SOLID INTERMIXTURE March 25, 1947.

Filed Dec. 21, 1944 5 sheets-sheet s S m o 36 mm 5 t we om m vvmowwmm March 25, 1947. TEALE 2,417,958

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE FLUID CONTENT OF A FLUID-SOLID INTERMIXTURE Filed Dec. 21, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I N VEN TOR:

ATTORNEY HAROLD A. TEALE,

Patented Mai. 25, 1947 APPARATUS FUR REDUCING THE FLUID CONTENT OF A FLUID-SOLID INTER/MIX- TURE Harold A. Ieale, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Filter Media Corporation, Irvington on Hudson, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 21, 1944, Serial No. 569,140

This invention relates to slurry thickeners or de-waterers for reducing the liquid content of a solids mixture or slurry by filtration. More -specifically, this relates to apparatu comprising a plane filter medium separatin a slurry chamber from a filtrate chamber, in which the slurry in passing along the filter medium has some of its liquid abstracted through the medium and withdrawn from the filtrate chamber. Further particularized, this relates to means for maintaining the filter medium of such an apparatus free of undesirable solids accumulations.

A plurality of such filter media parallel to one another and each embodied in a so-called filter plate may be assembled or stacked into an apparatus unit so that the slurry may pass along the surfaces of a succession of superposed filter media while the abstracted liquid is being withdrawn from each of the filtrate chambers", That side of a filter medium that faces the 'siurry chamber will herein be termed the slurry'side or surface, while the opposite side facing the filtrate chamber will be termed the filtrate side or surface.

An example of a tie-watering unit of this kind" appears in my copending patent application Serial No. 493,520, filed August 13, 1943. Such an apparatus is shown to comprise a stack of horihorizontal flow direction each time it passes from the end. of one filter medium to the beginning of the next. In the operation of this kind of an apparatus a single passage of the slurry through the unit may suffice to abstract the desired quantity of liquid, although the slurry may also be passed repeatedly or recirculated through the unit until a desired degree of de-watering has been reached.

In de-watering units of this kind it is a prob lem to maintain the filter media in efiicient operating condition by preventing an excessive accumulation of slurry solids on the filter media without necessitating the separation of the filter plates.

This invention relates more specifically to the backwashing of the filter media whereby the separation of the filter plates is avoided.

While this invention is herein shown to be embodied in a unit structurally resembling that of my above mentioned copending application, it

is not to be limited by any of the features representing the subject matter of the invention CQY? 5 Claims. (Cl. 210188) III ' pressure of the feed slurry distends to seal offered by my copending patent application. While the unit isherein shown and spoken of as .a stack; of horizontal filter plates or elements superposed provide backwash means which are effective, sim- I ple, and inexpensive, and which are accessible for inspection and replaceable substantially without dismantling the unit.

In principle these objects are attained by way of providing a slurry feed conduit which under backwash outlet passages, whereas upon flow reversal during backwashing the conduit by collapsing provides backwash discharge openings for,

the slurry chamber or chambers. Means are provided to prevent backwash water entering the filtrate chambers and passing through the filter media into the slurry chambersfrombacking up into the slurry feed conduit.

According to one feature a collapsible feed conduit or tube extends directly through and transversely of the filter plates, that is, the conduit extends substantially at right angles to the plates or the filter media.

According to another feature the collapsible conduit leads upwardly through a stack of horizontal filter plates, whereby the slurry enters at the bottom of the unit or stack and leaves the conduit at the top to enter the topmost slurry According to another feature the collapsible conduit penetrating a stack of filter plates has a flow check in the nature of a flap at its outlet end.

According to another feature the slurry dewatering unit is'loperated in a three-stage cycle, namely, (a) passing slurry through the unit for de-watering whereby the collapsible conduit is distended, (b) backwashing the unit with a reverse flow of water and freeing the filter media in passing therethrough into the slurry chambers, and then passing out directly from the slurry chambers due to collapsing of the feed conduit, and (c) passing sluice or flush water through the collapsible conduit in the slurry feed direction whereby the conduit is again distended and sluice water is forced through a succession of slurry chambers thus flushing the slurry side of the filter media and the slurry chambers free of undesirable solids.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which with the foregoing will be set forth in the following description. In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. In the accompanying drawings there has been illustrated the best embodiment of the invention known to me, but such embodiment is to be regarded. as typical only of, many possible embodiments, and the invention is. not to be limited thereto.

The novel features considered characteristic. of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additionalobjects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the. accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shows. the general external view in perspective of a slurry filter or de-waterer comprising a stack of horizontal filter plates, along with accessible pipe valves, pumps, and tanks- Fig. 1a shows in. detail one of the anchorin rods used in the. filter assembly shown in Fig, 1.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section partially diagrammatic through the, filter unit taken along the line 2-2 inFig. 12, and showing the condition where the collapsible slurry feed conduit is in the distended condition. as the slurry is being dewatered.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section-similar to that in Fig. 2, however indicating the backwashing phase when the collapsible slurry feed conduit is in the collapsed condition,

Fig. 4 is again'a Vertical section similar to that in Figs. 2 and 3, however indicating the flushing or sluicing phase where the slurry feed conduit I is again in itsdistended condition.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of. a check valve or fiap as taken from Figs. 2, 3, or 4, which fiap'is provided at the upper end of. the collapsible slurry feed conduit.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the check valve or flap shown in Fig. 5.

Figs. '7, 8 and 9 are detail views of a filter plate, Fig. 7 being a bottom view showing the filtrate side, Fig. 8 being a top view showing the slurry side, and Fig. 9 being a longitudinal section along line, 9-9 in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a cross-section along line iii-i0 taken uponFig. 9.

Fig. llis a cross-section along line H-l 1 upon Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a top view upon the filter unit.

Figs. 13 to 1'? are cross-sections of the filter unit taken upon. 2 along the lines l3-i3, M-IA, lE-l5, iii-i6, 17-41! respectively.

Figs. 18 and 19. are perspective views of a filter element or plate from the top. and from the bottom respectively.

The filter or thickening or. de-watering apparatus along with accessory equipment as shown 4 in the perspective view of Fig. 1 comprises the filter unit It proper, a slurry supply tank H, a wash-water supply tank I2, 3. feed pump i3 with drive motor M, a receiver tank i5 for treated or thickened slurry, and a slurry recirculating pump IS with drive motor [1.

Referring to Fig. 1 as well as to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, a discharge pipe 18 leads from the slurry tank H to a T-pipe fitting l9 and is provided with a control or shut-01f valve 2%. From the washwater tank I2 a discharge pipe 2| also leads to the T-pipe fitting i9 and is provided with a control or shut-off valve 22. From the T-pipe fitting I9 a pipe 23 leads to the intake side of feed pump l3. From the discharge side of pump l3 fa pipe 23 leads to a T-pipe fitting 24 which has a short straight fitting 25 connecting it with a shut-oil or control Valve 26 connecting with pipe 26 leadin to the feed intake at the bottom of the filter unit it.

The T-pipe fitting z connects with an elbow pipe 21 leading into a control or shut-off valve 28 connecting with a straight pipe fitting 2'! leading into cross-fitting 28 which in turn connects with a pair of pipes 29 and 38 leading to the respective ends of the filter unit ii) at the bottom thereof. A discharge pipe 3i also leads from the cross-pipe fitting and is provided with a shut-off valve 32. From the bottom of the filter unit it! furthermore leads a pipe 33 to the receiver tank l5, the pipe 33 being provided with a control or shut-off valve 33. A discharge connection 34 leads from the receiver tank IE to the intake side of pump IS the discharge side of which connects with a riser pipe 35 emptying into the slurry tank I i. A slurry supply for the tank H is by way of a supply pipe 36 provided with a shut-off valve 31.

The filter unit I0 is shown to comprise a base plate 38 supported upon transverse beams 39 and 40, a stack of horizontal filter plates 4!, a top plate 42, and anchoring or tie rods 43 (see also detail Fig. 1) whereby the base plate 38, the filter plates 4!, and the top plate 42 are clamped together. The tie rod 43 has a hook shaped lower end portion 43s, a straight threaded upper end portionAS", and a nut 63 engaging the threaded end portion,

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, as well as to Figs. 7 to 19, the filter unit iii will now be described in detail as follows:

In the assembly. of the filter unit It the stack of filter plates comprises a stack of identical filter plates 41 an additional odd plate 44 at the bottom, another odd plate 45 on top of the filter plates 41 and on top of that still another plate 45 that is, the odd plate 44 is interposed between the lowest of the filter plates M and the base plate 35, While the other two odd plates 45 and 45 are interposed between the highest of the filter plates M and the top plate 32.

When assembled in the unit N3 the filter plates form slurry chambers 56 recognizable in the drawings by undulating surfaces and extending substantially from end to end of the unit. In this assembly the filter plates also form filtrate chambers ll and 7 each extending substantially only through one half of the unit. Each slurry chamher is separated from its associated filtrate chamber by a substantially plane filter medium @8.

At the bottom center the filter unit has an intake 48 for slurry feed or sluice water as the case may be, which intake continues as a vertical conduit 50 upwardly in the form of a collapsible tube 5| penetrating the plates 44, ll and 65, termimating in and being fixed to the plate 45. The upper end of the vertical conduit 50 is provided with a check valve 52 shown to be in the form of a flap of pliable material. A suitably shaped recess in the underside of the plate 45* constitutes a transfer conduit 53 leading from the checkvalve 52 horizontally to a vertical port 54 in plate 45 connecting with the first slurry chamber 46 at one end thereof. At the opposite end this slurry chamber connects with a port 55 provided in the topmost of the filter plates 4 I and leading to the next lower slurry chamber 46. In a similar manner the slurry stream continues through the next following lower slurry chamber 46, reversing its horizontal fiow direction as it passes from one slurry chamber into the next, finally to reach a port 55 in plates 44 and 35, leading into pipe 33 discharging the de-watered or thickened slurry into the receiver tank l5.

It will be observed that the stacked filter plates 4P are identical as individual structures, but that in assembly they are reversed in alternation, that is, one plate 4P has its port 55 at one end of the unit Ill while the next following plate M is endwise reversed so that its port 55 appears at the opposite end of the unit If]. Due to this arrangement the slurry passes in Zig-zag fashion downwardly through the filter unit 4 as liquid is' being abstracted from the slurry through the fil ter media 48 into the respective filter chambers 4! and 41*.

This alternating endwise reversal of the filter plates 4| 8 is apparent also in the respective sections l5-I5 and Iii-l6 of the filter unit ID, as

shown in Figs. and 16.

In the one group of superposed filtrate chambers 47 and 4'! each chamber has a vertical discharge port, such as a port 56 in plate and ports 5! and 53 in each plate 4| all the vertical ports 56, 51 and 63 lining up to form a vertical filtrate discharge conduit 58 which also includes a vertical port 59 in the odd plate 44 and a similar port 64 in the base plate 35, leading into pipe 36. The port 56 in plate 45 connects with its filtrate chamber 41 by way of an inclined branch port while the port 51 in plate 4| connects with its associated filtrate chamber by a similar inclined branch port 6|.

In the opposite group of superposed filtrate chambers 41 and 41* the outer end of each chamber has a vertical discharge port, such as a port 52 in plate 45 and ports 5'! and 63 in each plate 4F, all the vertical ports 62, 51 and 53 lining up to form a vertical filtrate discharge conduit 64 which also includes a vertical port 65 in the odd plate 44 and a similar port 66 in the base plate 35, leading into pipe 29. The port 62 in plate 45 connects with its filtrate chamber 47* by way of an inclined branch port 61, while the port 63 in plate 4| 5 connects with its associated filtrate chamber by a similar inclined branch port 68.

The odd plate 44 has a bottom recess 69 for discharging backwash water in a manner to be described further below. This recess 69 constitutes a horizontal transfer connection leading to a vertical port 16 in base plate 35, which in turn connects with a discharge pipe 1 Further details of the odd plates 44 and 45, and of the filter plates 45 will now be described by reference to Figs. 14 to 19. The odd plate 44 (see Fig. 17) has a dividing ridge 12 extending medially of the slurry chamber and dividing the same into two longitudinal sections, but terminating just short of the slurry outlet port 55*, and interrupted by a central opening 13 to accommodate til] the collapsible tube 5| constituting the vertical feed conduit 54.

The odd plate 45 (see Fig. 14) is provided at its top side with a transverse groove 14 (see also Figs. 5 and 6). The filter medium 48 overlying the odd plate 45 serves here merely as a gasket. The fiap 52 is fastened in groove 14 by means of a wedge member 15. The plate 45 has a central opening 16 which is overlain by the fiap 52 and through which extends the upper end portion of the collapsible tube 5|. Surrounding the opening 76 on the upper side of plate 45 is an annular recess 71 in which is fastened the upper outwardly flaring end of the collapsible tube 5|.

The filter plate 4 (see Figs. 7 to 11 and 15, 16)

has a medial ridge Ti dividing the slurry chamber, although interrupted by an opening 78 for accommodating the collapsible tube 5|. The underside of this filter plate has a pair of large shallow recesses constituting the filtrate chambers 47 and 41 The chamber 41 is of somewhat reater length than chamber 4'! as is indicated by their respective dimensions a and b (see Fig. 7). In fact the length a is shorter than the length 19 by the differential c which is occupied by the pair of ports 55, such ports being provided only at one end of each filter plate M The underside of plate 4H furthermore has a pair of transverse narrow recesses or grooves 19 straddling the opening 18, into which grooves is fastened the filter medium 48 by means of wedge members 80. It will be observed that each of the odd plates 44 and 45 as well as each of the filter plates 4| is provided with this identical means of fastening the filter medium to the underside of the respective plates. It is also noted that each of the shallow recesses constituting filtrate chambers have longitudinal flow directing ridges, the chambers 4! having such ridges designated by the numeral 8| terminating at a transverse collecting groove 82 from which extends a branch groove 83 leading into the inclined branch port 54 and thus into the vertical port 63. Flow directing ridges 84 in the filtrate chamber 41 terminate at a transverse collecting groove 85 from which the inclined branch port 6| leads into the vertical port 51. The upper side of each of the plates constituting the filter unit ill excepting the top plate 42 has a pair of dowel pins 86, one at each end, its location being defined by the dimensions as and y (as shown in Figs. 7 and 8). The underside of each plate excepting the base plate 35 has corresponding holes 81 to match and receive the dowel pins 86 and therefore also defined by the dimensions as and y.

Operation For the purpose of abstracting liquid from the slurry in the filter unit l6, the valves 29, 26, and 33 as for slurry passage, as Well as the valve 32 for filtrate passage are open, while the valves 22 and 28 are closed. Consequently as the feed pump l3 operates (see Fig. 2) slurry from supply tank H passes through pipe i8, T-pipe fitting l9, pipe 23, into pump it which forces it through pipe 23 fittings 24 and 25, valve 26, pipe 24 to inlet 49 and hence up into and through the vertical conduit '56 within the filter unit it], the pressure of the slurry within the collapsible tube 5| causing the same to expand sufiiciently to seal the openings 76 in the filter plates 4| a as well as the opening 73 in the odd plate 44 against the slurry chambers 46. The slurry is thus forced past the check valve or flap 52, through the transfer conduit" 53. and port 54 into topmost slurry chamber 46 at one end thereof. The slurry passes on over the undulating bottom face of the slurry chamber in direction of the arrows while. liquid is being abstracted upwardly from the slurry stream through the filter medium 48. The slurry having thus lost some of its liquid content reaches the opposite end of this slurry chamber 36 where it passes downwardly through ports 55 into the adjacent end portion of the next lower slurry chamber 46. Then reversing its horizontal fiow direction the slurry passes on to the opposite end of this slurry chamber while additional liquid is being abstracted through the associated filter medium 68. In this manner the slurry continues from one slurry chamber to the next until it reaches the outlet port 523 at the end of the lowest slurry chamber 45, whence the thus tie-watered or thickened slurry passes through valve 33 in discharge pipe 33 into the receiver tank E5, to be passed out of the system as by way 01 2. valved outlet connection 88 if the slurry has been sufiiciently thickened by a single passage through the unit IE], or to be sent back through recirculating pump it and riser pipe 35 into the surry tank II for additional de-watering and repeated passage through the filter unit it. That is the operation may be either by continuous straight passage of fresh slurry through the filter unit, or it may be batchwise by recirculation of slurry until a desired degree of dewatering has been reached, or it may be a combination of straight and recirculation operation.

The path of the filtrate entering the filtrate chambers is by way of the inclined ports 6! and 68 at the respective outer end of the filtrate chambers into the respective vertical conduits '58' and 54 and through the respective discharge pipes 29, 3t, and 3! by way of the discharge valve 32.

After a certain period of slurry filtration operation it may be desirable to backwash the filter media. 33. To this end (see Fig. 3) the feed of slurry from tank H is discontinued and feed of wash-water from tank I2 is started into the filter unit it; that is to say, the valves 29, 26 and 32 are closed, while valves 22 and 28 are opened. The pump i3 now forces wash-water from tank l2 through fitting 25, elbow 2'1, and valve 28 into the branch pipes 28 and 3!! in a direction opposite to the previous flow of filtrate therethrough. The wash water thus rises through the vertical conduits 58 and 64 at each end of the filter unit it, and through the inclined branch ports BI and Gil simultaneously into all the filtrate chambers ll and ll". Thence it seeps or is forced through the filter media 48 into respective slurry chambers t6 from each of which it escapes directly by way of the openings 18 which now offer wash water efliuent passages due to the collapsing of the vertical feed tube The tube 5| collapses because of the exterior pressure thereon from the wash-water and due to the absence of the interior pressure which prevails only while slurry is being fed through the tube 51 by pump I3. The eiiluent wash-water thus collects from all chambers and reaches the opening 13 in plate 44, thence by way of transfer passage 69 to fiow through port into the backwash effluent discharge pipe 7 I.

Wash-water passing from the topmost filtrate chamber fil through filter medium 58 into the topmost slurry chamber 66 may then back up through the port 55 into the transfer conduit 53, but is stopped from entering the collapsible tube El and passing into the slurry feed conduit by the check valve or flap 52. This checking action of the flap 52 therefore prevents the building up of such internal pressure in the tube M as might counteract the collapsing of the tube Eiduring the backwash phase of the operation.

The backwashing done, it may be desirable as a part of the operating cycle to pass a how of sluice water through the unit in the slurry flow direction to remove or flush or sluice out accumulated solids which may have remained in the slurry chamber from the preceding backwashing step. To this end (see Fig. 4) the wash-water valve is left open, and valves 26, 32 and 33 are opened while valve 28 is closed. Consequently the pump it sends sluice water into and through the filter unit is along the slurry flow path as defined above.

Following this the feed may be switched from the wash-water supply tank [2 back to the slurry supply tank i i by closing the valve 22 and opening the valve 26, and normal slurry filtration operation thus may be resumed.

I claim:

As an article of manufacture in a tie-watering unit a horizontal plate of greater length than width and having an upper side comprising a slurry chamber in the form of a shallow recess in said plate and extending substantially the length of said plate, and having a lower side comprising a pair of filtrate chambers in the form of s allow recesses in area substantially corresponding to said slurry chamber recess except for a raised central portion of the plate separating the filtrate chamber recesses, said cenplate.

2. A slurry thickener unit comprising an upper plate formed at its underside with a filtrate chamber, a lower adjoining plate formed at its upper side with a slurry chamber, a filter medium interposed between said plates and separating the slurry chamber from the filtrate chamber, tie means for maintaining said plates and said filter medium in cooperative assembly, said upper plate having a filtrate outlet passage adapted to serve also as a wash-water inlet passage, said lower plate having a slurry receiving end and a slurry outlet passage at the opposite end whereby slurry passes horizontally from the one end to the other end of the chamber, a slurry feed conduit leading to said slurry receiving end, a discharge conduit for thickened slurry leading from said slurry outlet passage, each of said plates further having a wash-water passage opening, which openings register with each other to constitute a vertical washwater discharge passage extending through and at right angles to the plates and the filter medium,

said wash-water passage having a connection portion being of a non-rigid material rendering it distendable as Well as collapsible, said internal feed conduit portion being distended by said feed slurry being passed therethrough and being collapsed when the flow of feed slurry therethrough has been stopped and Wash-Water is being fed into the filtrate chambers by Way of said filtrate passage and in a direction reverse to the preceding flow of filtrate, the spent wash Water thus being allowed to pass through said vertical wash-water discharge passage and said Wash-water disposal conduit.

3. A slurry thickener according to claim 2, in which said Wash-water discharge conduit and said collapsible slurry feed conduit extend substantially centrally through said plates.

4. A slurry thickener according to claim 2, with the addition of one-way flow check means for preventing back-flow through said slurry feed conduit.

10 5. A slurry thickener according to claim 2, with the addition that a check valve in the nature of a flexible flap is provided at the top of said collapsible feed conduit preventing back-flow therethrough.

HAROLD A. TEALE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

